History

In 1960, 14 Catholics met to discuss the need for a Catholic Church in the Black Forest. Those discussions led to an initial gathering of 230 people to celebrate the first Mass in the Black Forest in 1961. The first Mass in the original Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church (which is now part of our Parish Hall) was celebrated at midnight on December 25, 1965. To better meet the needs of a growing parish and the assignment of a parish priest, a rectory was added on the property during the 1970s, and that rectory now serves as parish offices while a new rectory, purchased in 2013, serves our current pastor. Additional plans to meet the needs of our growing parish community began in 1983 with the addition of the church annex (also part of our current Parish Hall). This annex, now called the Parish Hall, hosts various events and serves as a meeting space for parish events, meetings, celebrations, after-Mass fellowship, and faith formation ministry opportunities. In 2004, a new church was constructed where Mass is now celebrated at Our Lady of the Pines. Throughout our history, we have been a parish of continuous growth. Where less than 50 families (230 people) gathered initially to celebrate that first Mass, we now minister to over 1,400 families (about 5,000 people), and we continue to add new parishioners every month.